Russ Vought, the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, continues to make headlines this week as the Trump administration pursues an aggressive agenda to reshape federal agencies. Most recently, the White House nominated Stuart Levenbach, an energy official who serves as associate director of natural resources, energy, science and water at the Office of Management and Budget and a close aide to Vought, to become the permanent director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This nomination was announced on Tuesday and represents what insiders describe as a technical maneuver rather than a substantive leadership change.

The nomination of Levenbach appears designed to extend Vought's tenure as acting director of the CFPB without requiring Senate confirmation. Under the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, an acting director can serve for 210 days, but that tenure can be extended if the president nominates another person for the position. Vought was named acting CFPB director on February 7th, and this new nomination essentially resets the clock, allowing him to continue his work at the agency for an additional period.

Since taking charge of the Office of Management and Budget in February, Vought has terminated roughly ninety percent of agency staff and suspended much of the agency's work. He has been vocal about his intentions for the CFPB, stating on a podcast last month that he plans to close down the agency within the next two or three months. Vought remarked that only Republican appointees and a few career employees remain while the administration works to close down the agency.

The Trump administration has also moved to block the CFPB from seeking additional funding from the Federal Reserve, citing legal barriers under the Dodd-Frank Act. The CFPB has indicated that it anticipates having sufficient funds to continue operations until at least December 31st, though the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel determined that available funds are expected to run out in early 2026.

Democratic senators, including Elizabeth Warren, the ranking member on the Senate Banking Committee, have criticized these moves. Warren stated that instead of doing everything in their power to lower costs for Americans, Trump and Vought want to make it easier for giant corporations to exploit families.

The Senate Banking Committee has not yet scheduled a hearing on Levenbach's nomination, and a CFPB spokesperson indicated that the formal hearing process will likely prove to be moot, as the Senate probably will not get around to it until next year.

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